Bookmarks: Recently released books

"SECRET JOURNEYS OF A LIFETIME: 500 of the World's Best Hidden Travel Gems," National Geographic, $40, 320 pages (nf)

With nine categories — from Last Wilderness to Spiritual Havens and City Secrets – "Secret Journeys of a Lifetime" includes photos, descriptions and other pertinent information (when to go, how to find it, planning and websites) for each place. Utah is mentioned a couple of times. The "World with a View" chapter mentions Dead Horse Point State Park near Moab for those with a geology obsession and Solitude's The Yurt made the No. 1 spot on the "Top Ten Tea and Coffee Shops with a View." The other nine include places in Bolivia, French Polynesia, India, Turkey, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Spain and Morocco.

"THE THINKING LIFE: How to Thrive in the Age of Distraction," by P.M. Forni, St. Martin's Press, $21.99, 192 pages (nf)

With cell phones, email, the Internet and constant updates, there is a constant demand on time and attention. With all of the little blips of information available, P.M. Forni says that it leads to not having time for deeper, critical thinking and reflection. He offers ways to maximize time and still have time for thinking, especially before posting anything online or speaking.

More hardbacks recently released:

"THE NEW KIDS: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens," by Brooke Hauser (nf): At Brooklyn's International High School, which teaches English to recently-arrived immigrants, there is a melting pot of students from 45 countries who speak more than 28 languages and each has a story of how they got here from a Tibetan boy who spent 24 hours in a suitcase during his journey here and others who have been disowned or have travelled across deserts or mountains.

"BRIGHT, NOT BROKEN: Gifted Kids, ADHD, and Autism — Why Twice-Exceptional Children are Stuck and How to Help Them," by Diane M. Kennedy, Rebecca S. Banks and Temple Grandin (nf): Explores ways to identifying exceptional children with disabilities and ways to help with diagnosis and ways to help them achieve their potential.

"WHAT YOU WISH FOR: A Book for Darfur" (nf): Eighteen writers, including R.L. Stine, Meg Cabot, Ann M. Martin, and Gary Soto, have contributed poems and short stories to this effort to raise fund for a libraries in African refugee camps.

"THE QUEST: Energy, Security and the Remaking of the Modern World," by Daniel Yergin (nf): As the world's appetite for energy grows, this nearly 800-page book explores the history of oil as it affects the history of the modern world.

"STREET FREAK: Money and Madness at Lehman Brothers," by Jared Dillian (nf): A former Lehman Brothers associate penned this memoir, including the effect of 9/11 and portraits of inside the company.

"FOLLOWING ATTICUS: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and An Extraordinary Friendship," by Tom Ryan (nf): An out-of-shape newspaper man and his miniature schnauzer named Atticus M. Finch decide to climb all 48 of New Hampshire's 4,000-foot peaks twice during the 90 days of winter to pay tribute to a friend's death from cancer.

"YOU ARE NOT ALONE MICHAEL: Through a Brother's Eyes," by Jermaine Jackson (nf): The brother of the late King of Pop looks at life with him in this memoir.

"EMINENCE: Cardinal Richelieu and the Rise of France," by Jean-Vincent Blanchard (nf): The French royal family — King Louis XIII, Queen Mother Marie de Medici, Queen Anne of Austria and Gaston d'Orleans — had their share of eccentricities and along with Cardinal Richelieu's political intrigues, they each have their own tales of war exploits, love conspiracies and executions.

"LOVE AND CAPITAL: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of Revolution," by Mary Gabriel (nf): A biography of Karl Marx and his wife Jenny in the portrait of Karl as a father, husband, visionary, jokester and intellectual.

"MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT: Finding the Meaning of Life's Stages Through Books," by Arnold Weinstein (nf): In literature, there is a reflection of the journey of life, from childhood to the twilight of life.

"FEAST DAY OF FOOLS," by James Lee Burke (f): Texas Sheriff Hackberry Holland investigates the brutal gang killing this southwest Texas town that involves a woman who reported provided a makeshift way station for immigrants and isn't afraid of authorities, a preacher who shoots illegals on site and a low-level CIA-trained operative. It's been in the top 10 on the New York Times's best-seller list for hardback fiction.

"HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION," by David Weber (f): Next in the Safehold science fiction series, the leaders of island empire of Charisian must decide if they was to attack the mainland as a means to offensively end the wars. It's been in the top 10 on the New York Times's best-seller list for hardback fiction.

"DRY ICE," by Bill Evans and Marianna Jameson (f): Penned by a meteorologist, this science fiction thriller involves a rogue employee private company manipulating weather patterns with secret technology that could potentially destroy all life on the plant through earthquakes and hurricanes.

"READMDE," by Neal Stephenson (f): A tech entrepreneur gets caught in the crossfire of his own global online war game with very real consequences. It's been in the top 10 on the New York Times's best-seller list for hardback fiction.

"DEFENSIVE WOUNDS," by Lisa Black (f): Penned by a fingerprint examiner and a former forensic scientist, the mystery forensic scientist Theresa MacLean investigates a death at high-end hotel that is having a conference for criminal defense attorneys, is a forensic mess with many suspects.

"LETHAL," by Sandra Brown (f): A man suspected of murdering seven people shows up on Honor's Louisiana doorstep and insists that is she does what he says, she and her young daughter won't be harmed as he searches for something extremely valuable hidden by Honor's late husband. It's been in the top 10 on the New York Times's best-seller list for hardback fiction.

Sixteen authors, many with best-selling paranormal novels, wrote original short stories about magical beings that range from funny or romantic to chilling. Utah author Ally Condie contributes one of her own, titled "Leaving," with new characters and landscapes.

More paperbacks recently released:

"THE LAST SNAPSHOT," by Eileen Bodell (f): Nathaniel's mother, Sharon, has cancer and yet his whole family just goes on as usual. As he opens up about his anger and the uncertainty about his mother's seemingly eminent death, he begins to manage his emotions.

"TO HAVE AND TO HOLD, Bridal Veil Island," by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller (f): A historical novel set on the secluded Bridal Veil Island, Ga., Audrey Cunningham moves there with her father and tensions grow developers surround them and want their family's land, too.

"A WHISPER OF PEACE," by Kim Vogel Sawyer (f): Lizzie Dawson is ostracized by her tribe in Alaska because her father is white and she hopes to someday reconcile with her grandparents. Clay Selby moves to Alaska to set up a church and a school, but falls for Lizzie, which could jeopardize his mission.

"THE DOCTOR'S LADY," by Jody Hedlund (f): Eli Ernest and Priscillia White marry in name so they can fulfill their dreams of serving missions but grow closer as they travel through the wild West.

"WINGS OF A DREAM," by Anne Mateer (f): Rebekah Hendricks' dream of adventure changes as the Great War and Spanish flu epidemic affects her family and she finds an unexpected love.

"THE TURQUOISE LEDGE: A Memoir," by Meslie Marmon Silko (nf): She combines her family history with reflections on the creatures in the world around her in the Sonoran Desert.

"TURNING THE TIDE: The Top Ten Principles of a Success Mindset," by Rebekah Harkness (nf): This University of Utah graduate outlines 10 principles, from the power of thoughts, to visualization to taking responsibility, to help with success in life in this 63-page book.

"COLORADO TREASURES: Watercolors by J.R. Hamil," (nf): This coffee table-sized book includes 97 paints of Colorado landmarks by J.R. Hamil, a former Hallmark Cards artist.

MIDDLE READER

"THE WORLD ALMANAC FOR KIDS 2012," World Almanac, $13.99, 352 pages (nf) (ages 8 and up)

This full color almanac is a fun compilation of geography, puzzles, activities and games. It also has fact about people, places, animals, environment, movies and television, music, sports and technology.

More middle reader books recently released:

"DARTH PAPER STRIKES BACK: An Origami Yoda Book," by Tom Angleberger (f): It's the first day back at McQuarrie Middle School when Harry brings in the origami Darth Vadar finger puppet that spews insults, clashing with Dwight and his Orgiami

"RULE THE SCHOOL," by Vordak, The Incomprehensible (f)(9-12): Vordak, a supervillian, heads to middle school and includes advice of what fellow classmates should do to for a mischievous, funny year, especially has he runs for class president and seeks to conquer his nemesis, Commander Virtue.

Yoda finger puppet and Dwight is almost expelled from school.

"MO WREN, LOST AND FOUND," by Tricia Spring Stubb (f)(ages 8-12): In this followup to "What Happened on Fox Street," Mo Wren struggles with a move after her family moves from Fox Street.

"LIESL & PO," by Lauren Oliver (f)(ages 8-12): Liesl is locked in her attic room and grieving for her late father when she meets the ghost Po and his pet Bundle, who help her escape as she embarks on an unexpected adventure.

"BREADCRUMBS," by Anne Ursu (f) (ages 8-12): Jack and Hazel are friends until they turn 11 and Jack quits talking to Hazel. She discovers his heart has been turned to ice and taken to an ice palace and heads off to rescue him.

"HEART AND SOUL: The Story of America and African Americans," by Kadir Nelson (nf)(ages 9 and up): This illustrated book expores the history of America, from slavery, to the Civil War to the Jim Crowe laws and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., from the perspective of African Americans.

PICTURE BOOKS

THE BERENSTAIN BEARS series "Show Some Respect," "The Little Lost Club," "Reap the Harvest," "The Trouble With Secrets," "Mama's Helpers," and "Get Ready for Christmas," by Jan and Mike Berenstain (ages 4-7): Jan and her son Mike continue the series of the family of bears and their friends who sometimes have to learn lessons the hard way.

"YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND," by Peter Brown (ages 4-8): Lucy is a bear tries to make friends with those around her, from bees, to birds and monkeys.

"BIRDIES'S BIG GIRL DRESS," by SuJean Rim (ages 4-8):It's Birdie's birthday and she tries on many dresses in search of the perfect "big girl" dress.

"FRECKLEFACE STRAWBERRY: Best Friends Forever," by Julianne Moore, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (ages 3-8): Freckleface Strawberry's best friend is difference than her and people think that is a bad thing. Can different people be friends?

REPRINTS

"HOW TO LIVE OR A LIFE OF MONTAIGNE," by Sarah Bakewell (nf); "PROMISE ME: How a Sister's Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer," by Nancy G. Brinker with Joni Rodgers (nf); "ALL BY MY SELVES," by Jeff Dunham (nf); "MATCHED" by Ally Condie (f); "33 MEN: Inside the Miraculous Survival and Dramatic Rescue of the Chilean Miners," by Jonathan Franklin (nf); "GALILEO'S DAUGHTER: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love," by Dava Sobel (nf); "DEADLY SPIN: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on how Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans," by Wendell Potter (nf); "SNAKEWOMAN OF LITTLE EGYPT," by Robert Hellenga (f); "BLUR: How to Know What's True in the Age of Information Overload," by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel (nf); "DREAMING IN CHINESE: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love and Language" by Deborah Fallows (nf)